Employer foot-dragging, mandatory vaccinations, and what? – a raid!
It’s been two long years and we wish we could report progress at the bargaining table, but your employer continues to drag its heels.
Although the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) ordered EMCON to disclose their financial information back in March, they have yet to do so. They have, however, raised their monetary offer from .92% to a total of 1.5% minus all other monetary items (boot allowance, tools, winter clothing, other safety equipment, any enhancements to health plan, etc.). With all of that taken into account, their offer amounts to an overall increase in wages as low as .5%. EMCON’s offer is an insult to your hard work.
How much is a 1.5% Increase?
Assuming the full 1.5% is applied to wages, an employee making $27.00 per hour would see a .40 cent increase to bring the hourly wage to $27.40. (Multiply your hourly rate by 1.015% to get the new hourly rate.)
Employer Ignores ALRB Order
Your Bargaining Committee continues to pursue EMCON’s financial Information as already ordered by the Alberta Labour Relations Board last March. The union and employer are submitting briefs by the end of this month and a decision is expected within days.
After the ALRB decides on the terms of disclosure of the financial information, your negotiating team will assess the actual financial health of EMCON and their ability to afford our monetary position. At that point, we will return to the bargaining table with the same monetary position, or a modified one depending on what we learn from the financial disclosure. We are not being unreasonable in this demand; if the employer is pleading poverty, it is up to them to prove it.
Mandatory Vaccination
AUPE played no role in your employer’s decision to mandate a COVID-19 vaccination. We have encouraged members across all sectors to get vaccinated at their earliest opportunity because we believe in the science and want you to have the best protection available to you to fight off this deadly virus. We also understand that some members may have legitimate reasons to look for an accommodation from the employer to receive an exemption to this policy. We encourage those members to first advise their supervisor (in writing) and then contact their Member Services Officer (MSO) so he can help you as you seek accommodation.
We know this topic might be controversial for some. From feedback we are getting from various worksites, we know that some members are immuno-compromised or have family members who are and they are concerned about working with unvaccinated co-workers. It is the union’s legal obligation to represent them, as well. After so many employers and the government have gotten so much so wrong during this pandemic, your union has been working very hard for months to get our response right. And we believe we have.
After considerable research and consultation with our legal advisors, AUPE produced this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document (recently updated) about employers imposing vaccine mandates. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please reach out to your MSO (contact info below) and he will be assist you.
Rapid Testing As An Alternative
While the employer has offered Rapid Testing as an alternative to the vaccine mandate, and has reduced the cost to members to $10 per test, your negotiating team is encouraging them to avail themselves of the province’s free rapid tests (funded by the federal government) so that members are not forced to absorb this cost.
Raid?
We understand that there is an active raid being conducted by the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). They have been reaching out to members and have presented CLAC as an alternative to AUPE. We strongly encourage you to look into this “union” before you buy into what they’re selling.
CLAC has less than 60,000 members across the entire country and carries a reputation of being very cozy with the employers with whom they sign contracts. Their structure means that instead of you electing your co-workers as worksite representatives to negotiate on your behalf, they will be appointed by head office.
AUPE’s democratic structure ensures that the people most affected by the collective agreements we negotiate are at the table to negotiate them. We recognize that some of your chapters have fallen inactive but we encourage you to take up the challenge and take advantage of the strength that having a union with 95,000 members located in Alberta affords you. You have, at your disposal, the largest union in Western Canada – and all of its members - on your side.
If you believe for a moment that CLAC would be able to wrestle a better deal out of Frank, we sincerely invite you to think again.
Got questions? Reach out
Your negotiating team remains committed to obtaining the best possible collective agreement on your behalf. Remember that your current collective agreement remains in full force and effect and if you have any problems with your employer’s interpretation of it, we are here for you. Please call the Members Resource Centre at 1-800-232-7284 if you have worksite issues to address and please reach out to a member of your negotiating team if you have questions about bargaining.
Emcon Negotiating Team Members
Mike Brouwer mikebrouwer@gmail.com
Jason Fandrich jfandrich@telus.net
Jason MacLeod. krazeecaper@hotmail.com
Bernard Quinn garry223@telus.net
Dallas Shier dallasshier@gmail.com
AUPE Resource Staff
Jason Rattray, Negotiator – j.rattray@aupe.org
Scott Drake, Organizer – s.drake@aupe.org or 604-417-9166
Jerry Woods, Membership Services Officer – j.woods@aupe.org
Alexander Delorme, Communications – a.delorme@aupe.org